The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-02


the town He pretended not to know
where his wife and little Fay went. HI
spoke of other things when they came
back. 1t was passive resentment, bu
strong as iron the time for recoDcilia-
ton mad gone by. If his father-inlaV
bad refused to come near his threshold
the door was closed against him forever
now. John West lighted his pipe and
sauntered into the building yard to SET
his men disperse; he made up his minC
| 10 be az proud as old Stoneby, but he
was too fond of Carrie to hurt her with
word.
Meanwhile little Fay had wound her
self about her grandfather's heart. He
could not refuse her when she climbed
his knee and laid her soft cheek against
his beard.
And where are you off to now, Fay p
ITO the sea" said Fay. ITO the sea,
1 wonder do the fairies ever GO down to
the mermaids2 I'm going to dabble for
little crabs"
Peter Stoneby was laying his speci-
mems in his press to dry. and he hardly
attended TO ner prattle. A little later
he was cut to the heart to think how he
had let her go.
Alone on the beach the child was last
seen by the people of the town. Alone
she stood on the slippery green rock,
with her wild locks and her little sailor
dress all blowing in the wind. She was
listening to the great voice of the waters.
Her face was as white as the foam of
the waves rushing in, and her large,
watching eyes had PARKWAY look, as
if she were thinking of something as
distant from us mortals as the red rim
of tho hot sinh hounnA fh 70
western sea of light.
And so she was thinking of things
beyond this world and further than the
golden skies. At length, seeming to
come back from her reveIie. she
croucheu on the rock and dipped her
slender hand, white as lily, down 10
the foam.
'She's fond of water" said brown
bag, with a bundle of wreck wood on
her shoulders; "she's always in the
pools when the tides out, and when it's
coming in she sticks on that there rock
like musseI SHE'LL"
The other old woman, with another
tagot of wreckage, croaked, "Get
drownded, she will, or the fairies1l take
her. She ought to hear tell o. the old
man that comes up out o. the sea all
dripping with the brine and the hair of
him like seaWeed, and the green moss
on his back. But, bless you children
know nothing now, along of going to
school,"
So the two brown danes walked on
with their fuel to town, and they were
the last that saw Fay on the rock, and
they thought that as they neared the
town they heard q shrek in the dis
tance behind them, like the cry of q sea.
gull.
When twilight changed to night and
the darling of the cottage could not be
found, the hue and cry was raised
all the town. The boatmen
were out with drags. The neighbors
were searching the shore with torches
for miles, in most forlorn hope. The |
mother was in the agony that only a |
mothers heart can know. The poor |
father was frantic and simple as boy |
in the reality of his grief, for a great |
sorrow and great terror made the
genuine characters show, leaving no |
room for trifes on the surface. Peter |
Stoneby had met his son-in-laW in the |
High street. They had talked without
apologies; they had acknowledged each
other without taking time to shake
hands.
1.-The woman says the child fell in
explained the young man.
Did she see her fall2"
II don't know-I can't quite get at it.
)h it's tor my poor Carries sake-I
m well nigh mad. 1t will kill her, Mr..
toneby. 1t will kill Carrie" Tears
tarted to the mans eyes. .H,
t"Tutl man, don't despair" Stoneby
answered, but his grizzly eyebrows
uiVered, and not muscle of his face
vas still. go to my poor child-stay
nth her. Leave the rest to me-"
John West went down to the dark
each to the restless figure that ran in
be wind. Peter Stoneby, with his head
ent again in his determination and his
ootsteps heavy, took q lantern from the
nm and went his own way.
Far off among the sand hills he heard
t last wailing cry. Poor little Fav
7as journeying home after fruitless
earch for the fairies. and in the dark
ess she could only find her way by the
ound of the sea. Its mighty voice in
be darkness frightened her, and so did
be dreadful distance OF the stars. 1t
eemed impossible ever to find familiar
round again. No wonder that she
rled. But hush-here was a light in |
be sandy valley A moving light! were
be fairies finding her at last No, it was
man who was coming nearer to her;
be could hardly have run faster from a j
obgobln. .7 f-s..l,,tf g. t.
But it was easy to capture her. Her
hoes were full of sand and she fell on
ne uneven ground. Then her grand
sther's arms were around her. Thank ,
odi-my little child" And he kissed
lie fearful cheek as he had never kissed :
ny one since the days when his own
arrie was child in his arms at their
ID house.
PeterStoneby journeyed with his light
lrden straight to town, straight to the
,ttage. He went in at the open door, :
intern in hand. with the childIs arms
ill locked about his neck, and the
tile face for sheer relief fell fast asleep
pom his rugged shoulder. The crowd
the townsfolks waited outside. But
lie stranger did not come out to tell
lem the news, They only heard the
-st cry of the mother-sheer Joy SO
eat that it was almost pain; in might
ave been the cry of breaking heart
When Fay was in Carrie Vests arms
e two men made the same movements.
lving perceived the same accomplished
ct. They saw that the threshold had
zen crossed unawares, that the ice of
mo l.